Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, appears to be losing her once-dominant influence and power in the House, where she held leadership roles twice.
A long-time ally and fellow Californian, Rep. Anna Eshoo, who represented Silicon Valley in her district, has decided to retire at the age of 80 after serving in Washington, D.C., for the majority of the last three decades.
“As the first woman and the first Democrat to ever represent our district, I’m very proud of the body of bipartisan work I’ve been able to achieve on your behalf in Congress,” Eshoo said in a video she posted to social media. “As my last year in Congress approaches, I will continue my work with vigor and unswerving commitment to you.”
Eshoo emphasized a recent breakfast event she attended with Pelosi and fellow members of Congress in the Golden State. Her departure, along with the eventual retirement of Pelosi, marks a significant move towards decreasing influence within the Democratic Party. This shift is indicative of a rising, more progressive faction that is gaining prominence.
It was an honor to join Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for a breakfast reception with Members of Congress at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. pic.twitter.com/3RIWTSu3Nm
— Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (@RepAnnaEshoo) November 17, 2023
Representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), aged 73, had previously declared her retirement. This led Politico to note that Eshoo “is the second longtime ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to depart Congress.” Furthermore, another California Democrat, Representative Tony Cárdenas, has announced his decision not to seek re-election after a decade in the House, according to Roll Call. Overall, a total of 31 current lawmakers, comprising 21 Democrats and 10 Republicans, have indicated that they will not be running for re-election in the upcoming cycle.
“Both Eshoo and Cárdenas represent seats in solidly Democratic districts. But Eshoo’s retirement will also prompt a race to replace her as head of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., and Cardenas were next in line and are both retiring,” Roll Call reported.
In the beginning of the previous month, Pelosi received a subpoena in California “to produce documents in a criminal case.”
Fox News reported that Pelosi shared information about the subpoena with the House of Representatives. This statement “was read by the House Clerk, which is standard when a member is issued a subpoena related to a civil or criminal matter.”
“This is to notify you formally pursuant to Rule Eight of the rules of the House of Representatives, that I, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, and U.S. Representative for the 11th Congressional District of California, have been served with third party subpoenas from the prosecution and the defendant to produce documents in a criminal case and United States District Court for the Northern District of California,” said Pelosi’s statement, per Fox News.
“After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I have determined that compliance with the subpoenas is consistent with the privileges and of the House to the extent it requires production of non-privileged information. The responses to the subpoenas will be identical,” the statement noted further.
Fox reported that Pelosi’s office declined to comment on the legal matter. Nevertheless, a source familiar with the situation informed the outlet that the subpoena is connected to the trial of David DePape, who assaulted her husband, Paul Pelosi, during a violent home invasion in their San Francisco mansion last year. DePape has since been found guilty of charges related to the attack.
After the incident, Pelosi mentioned that it might influence her decision to retire.